The Blue Jays announced that Cease was removed from his start Sunday against the Pirates in the fifth inning due to left hamstring discomfort.
Cease struck out eight and allowed two earned runs on four hits and one walk before being lifted with two outs in the top of the fifth following a pair of visits on the mound from the training staff. The Blue Jays will likely send Cease in for a more thorough examination to determine whether he's dealing with a hamstring strain, though the club hasn't yet indicated that he'll require an MRI. For now, Cease's availability for his next turn through the rotation Friday in Baltimore is in flux.